


Winter Encounters

by Preathea



Category: Original Works
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Winter, slight homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22149211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Preathea/pseuds/Preathea
Summary: Elwin is sick; Bran is busy.   They meet and are drawn to each other, but do they really know what the other wants?
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	1. Frost

**Author's Note:**

> This was written a year ago, and I decided why shouldn't I post it this year after rereading it. It was a twelve days of Christmas prompt. The chapter titles were the day's prompt. Hope you enjoy. :)

Elwin coughed into his elbow before leaning against the cold window and sighing. Outside, the landscape passed in a blur, and he wondered for a moment if it was from the fever or the moving bus. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn’t give in. Today was the last day of finals. He had to take the two tests that had unfortunately been scheduled for him, and then he could make a pitstop at the campus clinic before heading home. Tests first, then he would deal with this sickness.

The bus pulled up to his stop, and he pushed through the crowd of people on their way to work to make it to the front exit, giving a pained smile and a short “Thanks” to the bus driver before stepping out. He looked across the street towards campus and sighed. The frost on the windows and the chill already settling on his nose spoke of another cold day. The weather that morning had predicted as much, even going so far as to warn of another possible flurry. Elwin didn’t mind snow, not usually. Today was the worst day for it, though. 

Sighing once more, he steeled himself for a long day and crossed the small street. His first test was in his classroom, which was, luckily, only a short walk from the bus stop. He entered the building as quickly as possible and strode to the room to sit down and pull his body as close to itself as he could. He would have to strip off some of his layers when the test began, but for the next fifteen minutes, he would get as warm as possible. 

Elwin only stripped off his outermost jacket and gloves when the professor walked in, and he only pulled out a pen when the professor put a stack of papers on the front desk. He went over the guidelines one last time, wished the class luck and passed out the test. Elwin started as soon as it was appropriate. He wasn’t really worried about this literature exam. He’d never really struggled in this class, so he was confident in his ability to pass with more than a C, so long as he was able to make his handwriting legible. He was, however, worried about snot dripping onto the paper, so he did his best to finish quickly. 

He wasn’t the first done, but he did manage to finish within twenty minutes of the beginning of the test. He delivered the test to the front desk before gathering his stuff. He was putting on his gloves as he walked out the door when the professor stopped him, looking worried. “You should head to the clinic, Elwin,” he said gently, and Elwin nodded. He was going to. Just after his next test, which started in an hour. He had time to grab something warm to drink before then, so instead of heading directly to the large lecture hall that the test was scheduled to take place in, he made his way to the student center, and stood in line at the Starbucks. There were three people in front of him, and by the time the first was done, another two students stood behind him. There were only two people working that morning, so it was only to be expected. Even so, it was a little irritating when all he wanted was some tea. He would forgo the coffee that day. Caffeine and sickness didn’t mix well, and his sister was forever reminding him how bad coffee was for you. 

Once he had his tea, he sat down at an empty table and pulled out his notes for Spanish. Foreign language finals were his bane. He’d already finished the speaking portion, thankfully, but the written exam was given to all classes at once to save time. He was simply glad that this was the last Spanish class he would be required to take. He had never quite gotten certain pronunciations correct and was getting tired of embarrassing himself. 

Elwin sipped his tea slowly as he studied. It wasn’t long before someone sat across from him, bumping the table as they did. He raised his eyes and scowled at them. The brunette laughed lightly and gave him an apologetic smile. “Everywhere else is taken. I didn’t think you would even notice,” the man said, his green eyes shining. “I’m just waiting for my drink, then I’ll be out of your way.” 

Elwin sighed. Just because he was sick didn’t mean he should be rude. “No,” he said, closing the book. “It’s fine. Cramming doesn’t really help anyway.” 

The stranger smiled sympathetically. “Still have another final after this?” Elwin nodded. “My last was this morning,” the man offered, and Elwin scowled again, eliciting another chuckle form him. “Still, I feel your pain. Last semester, I swear I had the last scheduled final. 7pm on the last day of finals, and it was a three-hour exam.” 

Elwin winced. “Sounds terrible,” he commiserated. “Still, at least you weren’t sick.” 

The stranger snorted. “The little things, right?” Elwin gave him a small smile before taking another sip of his tea. It was almost gone, he noted, and he still had a half hour before his next exam. 

“Bran?” The barista called, and the stranger stood up and grabbed the offered cup from her before returning to the seat. 

“Bran?” Elwin repeated. “Like that kid from Game of Thrones?” 

Bran – or at least Elwin assumed that was his name – rolled his eyes. “No, not like him. My full name is stranger. I just simplify it for people. I went by Bran before those books started coming out.” 

Elwin chuckled lightly at the strong response. He must have gotten that question a lot to be so annoyed. “Sorry for asking then,” he said, a small smile still present on his face. Then came the coughs. He quickly covered his mouth with his inner elbow. The fit lasted for a full minute before he was finally able to clear his throat and stop coughing. He drank the last bit of his tea and grimaced. 

“You okay?” Bran asked, and Elwin raised an eyebrow. Did he seem okay? 

“Just sick,” he commented after a moment. “Anyway, I should be heading to my test.” 

Bran frowned and stood up with him. “Well, good luck…?” The sentiment trailed off as a question, and Elwin realized he had never given his name. 

“Elwin,” he said after a moment. “My name’s Elwin. See you around?” Bran nodded, and Elwin took off to his Spanish exam, hoping that he could just make it through that without too much trouble.


	2. Darkness

Bran drew his arms close to his sides, shoving his hands as deep in his pockets as he could as he walked down the street. Days were cold enough, but evenings were ridiculous. It wasn’t even completely dark out yet, and he could already feel the chill seeping through his jacket. They had had another flurry that day, so the ground was covered in half melted snow and slippery ice. His mother didn’t want anyone driving until it got dealt with, so he was having to walk to the store to get the few vegetables that she had forgotten earlier in the week. While he was out, he figured he could pick up a couple of presents that he’d been meaning to grab. 

The store was only a few blocks away, but still, by the time he arrived, he rushed inside, glad for the warmth of a busy store. He grabbed the things his mother had sent him for first before wandering to the electronics and books to pick up a few things for his teenage brother, and the toys for his youngest siblings. The lines were long, but the self-checkout counters opened quickly, so Bran was able to pay and pack up his stuff without trouble. 

He stopped at the doors to pull his jacket tighter, not really wanting to leave the store to go back out. Sighing, he stepped through the doors, and almost immediately, someone ran into him. “Sorry, sorry,” the apology was hasty as they backed away and shook their head, covered with a beanie from some fandom or another. Bran straightened and looked down at the boy who’d run into him intending on telling him not to worry about it, but his eyes lit up when he recognized who it was. 

“Elwin, right?” He asked, and the brown eyes lifted to look at him in surprise. He watched the recognition spark in the other boy’s eyes before a blush flared on his face, bright in the dark night. 

“Yeah. Ummm… good to see you again, Bran.” He was much quieter now, and he focused his gaze on the ground. “Sorry again, for bumping into you. I’m in a bit of a rush.” 

“It looks like it. Are you feeling better?” Bran remembered that the guy had been on the verge of a cold the day before, and he wondered if he had been able to recover now that the stress was off. 

“I – umm… yeah.” Elwin didn’t seem to know what to make of the conversation, so Bran chuckled and waved a goodbye, walking down the parking lot towards the road. Even having to walk home in the cold darkness, a chance encounter like that could make him happier it seemed. 

He hoped he would run into Elwin again later.


	3. Evergreen

Elwin couldn’t believe that it was only ten days until Christmas, and his family hadn’t chosen a tree yet. They kept saying they would, and then when he’d gotten home from school for Winter break, they had had the gall to say, “We wanted you to have a say in it.” He had done his best to glare at them through the snot that was dripping from his nose. At least they hadn’t insisted that they go right that second to pick one. All the good ones were gone by then anyway. 

Now, however, he, his mother, his father, and his younger sister were strapped into his father’s pickup and they were driving carefully down to the tree farm just outside of the city. His mother didn’t believe in just picking one from one of the places that sold in parking lots. She wasn’t fond of them she said, but Elwin didn’t really understand what the difference was. As they drove by some Evergreens, he heard her sigh, and just knew she was going to launch into reminiscing about way back when her and her family would go out to the woods and actually chop down their own tree. Elwin stuck his earbuds in and played the music cued on his spotify. Anything to not listen to that story for the twentieth time in his life. 

The truck finally pulled to a stop outside of the tree farm, and they piled out, Elwin and his sister standing near the entrance while their parents gathered themselves from the truck and locked the doors. Beside him, Alicia bounced on her heels, way more excited about this than he was. Elwin sucked in a shuddering breath and sighed before coughing roughly. He wasn’t fully over his cold, and he could tell that this was going to be quite an adventure. He grabbed a cough drop from his pocket and, after unwrapping it, popped it in his mouth and almost immediately choked on it. 

His eyes had landed on a familiar mop of brown hair exiting another car in the parking lot. How had he run into this guy three times in as many days? Regaining his composure, Elwin tore his eyes away from the guy and pulled his beanie farther down his head, until it fully covered his ears. He followed Alicia and his parents into the tree farm. 

Alicia skipped from tree to tree, their mother not far behind her, but Elwin and his father trailed behind the two women. After a moment, his father spoke. “Are you doing alright?” He asked quietly, eyes remaining on his daughter and wife. “I know you haven’t been feeling well since you came home.” 

Elwin shrugged and moved the cough drop to the side of his mouth before replying. “I’m fine. Just hope this doesn’t take too long.” 

“Well, if it gets to be too much, let me know. I’ll give you the keys to the truck and you can head back first and turn on the heat, alright?” Now his father was looking at him, so he nodded, knowing that the likelihood that he would do so was very low. They continued to follow Alicia and his mother around, the girls yelling opinions at them, and his father sometimes yelling his own back. 

Finally, they seemed to have settled on a few top choices and were deciding between them. His father walked closer so that they didn’t have to yell, but Elwin remained away from his family, hoping that they could make a decision soon. 

“Well, you definitely get around here, don’t you?” The voice was unmistakable, and Elwin rolled his eyes before turning to Bran. 

“Well what about you? Are you a stalker or something? First school, then the store, now here? What are you doing way out here anyway?” 

Bran shrugged, and Elwin took a moment to admire how snuggly the jacket fit his frame, though he wondered at how much warmth it could be providing. “My brother won a free tree from this place, so we came out to claim it.” Elwin appraised him for a moment before asking. 

“Is this the first-time you guys are getting a real tree?” Bran nodded, and Elwin realized in that moment that the man was a full head taller than him. He scowled at the thought, but quickly schooled his expression. He was trying to be helpful. “Do you know what you’re doing?” 

“No, not really. I think my mom read up on it earlier this week, but it’s a first for all of us. It’s just, J was so excited. We couldn’t let him down.” 

“Well, if you need any advice on how to care for it, you can always ask,” Elwin said with a shrug, and Bran grinned wickedly. 

“Yeah, how will I get in contact with you?” He asked, and Elwin frowned. “You know, to ask about the tree.” 

“I suppose we could exchange numbers,” Elwin answer, cheeks burning. He was certain now that this was flirting, and he wasn’t sure if he was comfortable with it. “And if you ever wanted to, we could, I don’t know, meet up for coffee to talk about it.” He wasn’t sure he was comfortable with it, but he knew he was already crushing on the brunette. 

“To talk about Christmas trees?” Bran asked, a teasing lilt in his voice. Elwin rolled his eyes. 

“Among other things. Though that should wait until I’m better, I suppose.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, taking his eyes off of Bran momentarily. When he looked back up, his phone unlocked and held out to the other boy, he paused. 

He didn’t really know how to describe the look that Bran was giving him. Hungry, attracted, possessed. None of them seemed to really encapsulate what he was seeing. He held his breath as Bran moved closer. Their lips were mere centimeters away from each other when the other boy spoke. “I think you’re fine the way you are,” he said and grabbed the phone before moving away. It took Elwin a few moments to figure out what he was taking about, and then, he was scowling at the pun as his phone was placed back in his hand. “Just text me to give me yours.” Then, Bran walked away, and Elwin didn’t know whether to be mad, relieved, or embarrassed about what had just happened. 

“Who was that?” He almost jumped when Alicia asked the question, walking over to his side.

“No one,” he answered, unaware of the soppy smile on his face. Alicia raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Elwin watched Bran until he was out of sight before remembering to send him a quick text with just his name. His thoughts were occupied the entire ride home as he tried to figure out what this was going to become.


	4. Bells

Bran didn’t hesitate to start texting Elwin as soon as he got home after they’d picked a tree and somehow managed to stuff it in the car with five kids and his mother already piled in. He didn’t want to seem overeager, but he didn’t want the other boy’s confidence to wear off. It was easy to see how uncertain he was about the flirting, even when he was reciprocating, so Bran wasn’t about to let him think for even a second that he was not interested, so he sent a quick _hey_ followed by questioning how it was going with their tree. Then he turned his attention to his siblings, struggling to get the tree clamped upright in the stand that they had had to stop by the store to grab since they hadn’t realized they’d need it before. 

“No, we need to shift it this way. It’s not standing straight. It needs to be straight.” J was the most demanding of his siblings. It figured he was the one who would win a tree and then be put in charge of making sure it was put up correctly. The eight year old huffed in annoyance as the tree ended up slouching the other way, and Bran couldn’t help but snort. He was treated to a glare at that, and he held up his hands in surrender. “Why don’t you come help, Bran?” the younger boy whined as he stamped his foot. “It would be easier with your help.” The others, six, eleven, twelve, and fourteen nodded in agreement. 

“Because,” Bran drawled, slouching farther into the couch. “I have a job already.” J raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. Bran grinned. “I’m the only one tall enough to put the star on top.” 

J’s scowl deepened. “That doesn’t stop you from helping now. Come on, please, Bran.” Bran chuckled before dragging himself up. He stood next to J for a moment considering the tree before moving forward and holding it straight up as the eleven and twelve year old boys, Toran and Morgan, tightened the clamps around the trunk. 

His phone chimed, the Carol of the Bells that Lowen, six, had assigned as his text alert, as he sat back down on the couch. The others began to decorate the tree with every ornament that they had managed to locate. Bran flicked open Elwin’s text. 

_Done already. Ali likes to get things finished quick. How’s yours?_

The texts seemed a little formal. Full punctuation, capitalization. But he was pleased to be conversing with the boy at any rate. He relayed the adventure that had been getting it to stand straight and sent the text before looking up to see four pairs of eyes waiting expectantly. 

It was Lowen who spoke. “Bran, can you put the star on top?” She held it out as she asked, and Bran gave her a soft smile before grabbing the star and placing it gently on top. Then, he picked her up as she giggled. It was hard to not give Lowen everything she asked for. She was the youngest, and the only girl in the family besides their mother, and she was certainly the cutest. At times, Bran felt like he was more her dad than their actual father. 

“Bran, can you help me with my schoolwork?” Toran, who had skipped a grade and was in the same grade as Morgan now. He was always concerned about getting everything done, and he never wanted to fall behind. Bran sometimes wished the boy had just stayed with kids his own age as his legacy of academic success seemed to be more stressful than it was helpful. 

“I’ll help you tomorrow,” he promised. “Tonight, let’s just have fun, yeah?” Toran seemed reluctant, but he nodded, and Lowen shifted in Bran’s arms. 

“What are we going to do?” She asked, and Bran pretended to think for a moment before suggesting her favorite game: . Her eyes lit up, and he put her down to allow her to run and fetch it. The others looked at him, exasperated and he shrugged. What could they do? Say no to her. 

Elwin’s next text was short and simple. _lol_ And nothing more. Bran frowned before pushing the phone away to concentrate on spending time with his siblings. He could figure out how to reel Elwin farther in later. For now, he would enjoy what time he could with the kids.


	5. Stars

Elwin paused outside of the café. Or, at least, he had assumed it would be a café when Bran had invited him out for coffee; this looked more like an actual restaurant. Elwin wasn’t sure of what he thought of the upgrade to their date. He stepped inside, glad for the warmth if nothing else, and now, he was certain it was a restaurant as a sign asking him to wait to be seated impeded him from moving much further. Glancing around the restaurant that he could see, he frowned. He hoped Bran had made some sort of reservation as there didn’t seem to be many open seats and there were several people already waiting for tables. He supposed they had met up during the dinner rush. Maybe he should have seen this coming. 

He gave his name to the server who finally noticed him hovering near the “Please Wait to be Seated” sign. When he did, her eyes lit up in recognition. “Right this way,” she said, showing him through and to a table in a corner, out of eyesight from the front. Bran grinned up at him and thanked the server before she left. 

“So?” Bran asked when Elwin said nothing as he sat. 

Elwin sighed and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “I thought we were going for coffee,” he said after a moment. 

“You can get coffee here. Theirs isn’t bad. I also recommend the pies. But if you’re up for real food, it’s not bad here either.” 

“Bran,” Elwin said, his voice more cross than it had been the moment before. “I thought we were just going for coffee.” 

“Technically, if you go back and read the text, I invited you to a café for drinks. I in now way excluded food from the equation. You should learn not to assume things.” Elwin rolled his eyes. He supposed it wasn’t that bad a deception, and Bran seemed to have done it in good fun. Still, he had promised Alicia that he would take her out for last minute shopping in an hour. He would have to see if she was willing to push it a little. 

He pulled out his phone and sent her a quick text. When he looked back up at Bran, the man appeared annoyed. “Now who are you texting when you’re on a date with me?” he asked. “Our first date in fact.” 

Elwin rolled his eyes again. “Chill, it’s just my sister. We had plans for a little later. Since we’re eating, I had to push them back.” 

The displeasure in Bran’s face cleared, and he grinned. “Cute and a good big brother. I’m learning new things already.” Elwin couldn’t help the blush that spread, so he buried his face in the menu as he glanced through the options. A coughing fit assaulted him almost immediately. He set down the menu midway through and coughed into his elbow. When he finished, Bran frowned over at him. “Some tea and soup for you, I think. That cough just won’t leave you alone, will it?” Elwin shook his head ruefully. 

Returning to the menu, he found himself agreeing with Bran’s assessment, and he ordered some soup and an herbal tea. They chatted idly as they ate, and Elwin found himself liking Bran more as he learned more about him. He was the eldest of five siblings, and his father wasn’t really in the picture. Since he was eight, he’d helped his mother take care of his siblings. He had to forgo college the first two years after graduating high school, so though he was a sophomore, just like Elwin himself, he was twenty-two rather than the average age of their year. Elwin was only nineteen himself, and that fact had Bran chuckling heartily, and referring to him as a baby. Bran liked to tease. A lot. At times, Elwin didn’t mind it, but even that day there a few times that he went too far. 

Overall, Elwin enjoyed himself, and an hour later, after briefly arguing over the check before Bran paid, they were walking out side by side. Once outside, Elwin paused and asked, “How are you getting home?” Bran had mentioned his family only having one car, and he didn’t think that Bran would use it to go on a date. 

Bran shrugged and cast his gaze up to the stars. “I was just going to walk home.” Elwin frowned and shook his head. It was too cold a night for that. Besides, Elwin had his mother’s car and he knew she wouldn’t mind him taking a detour home to ensure that one less person had a chance to freeze to death. 

“I’ll give you a ride,” he said, gesturing for Bran to follow him. Bran grinned and caught his hand. Rolling his eyes, Elwin took the touch as agreement and didn’t pull his hand away until they were at the car and he had to unlock the doors. Grinning widely, he opened the passenger door for Bran and held it for him. Bran took the move in stride and slid in elegantly. 

Once they were driving, they fell into calm conversation again, this time drifting towards music and entertainment with the radio playing quietly in the background. It seemed far less than half an hour when they pulled up in front of Bran’s house. Elwin glanced over it quietly. It seemed far too small for seven people, but it was clearly lived in, if the toys scattered across the yard were any indication. There were flower boxes below the front windows, and Elwin wondered for a second if someone in the house gardened. 

Turning his attention to Bran, he turned off the car and got up to let him out and walk him to the front door. “Well,” Elwin said. “I had a good time tonight.” Bran chuckled. 

“Yeah? I’m glad. Even if I did deceive you about what we were doing.” Elwin smiled softly and stood awkwardly, not sure how they were supposed to end this. Bran leaned in slowly, and Elwin could feel his breath on his lips again. Before he could wonder if Bran would actually kiss him that time, the older boy was grinning again. “Drive safe,” he said, “And get better. I’d like to invite you in next time, but as long as you are sick, I’ve got to keep you away from the kids.” Then he pulled away and opened the door. 

“Yeah,” Elwin breathed. “I’ll try.” Then the door was closed. Elwin walked back to the car and threw himself into the seat. He rested his head on the steering wheel and groaned.


	6. Rebirth

The conversation during their second date had lulled, so Bran simply stared at Elwin. He could see that it made Elwin embarrassed, but he didn’t seem to want to say anything. Instead, he just blushed and looked down at his drink. Bran found this adorable and amusing. He smiled softly and tore his eyes from the other’s face to stare out the window instead. “What are your Christmas plans?” He asked after a moment, turning back to Elwin. 

The younger man was taken by surprise. “Umm… Mass On Christmas Eve, in the morning probably. And then laying around at home with family. That evening, we have to attend this stupid Christmas ball at my dad’s work.” Elwin’s eyes lit up and he looked up at Bran mischievously. Bran found this just as adorable and amusing. “Do you want to come with me? Then maybe my dad won’t try to make me dance with every girl there. We don’t have to stay long. Just like an hour. Then you could go back to your family.” 

Bran grinned. “Sure,” he said lazily. “So long as you come with me to a party the day before. We go every year. It’s not a ball, much more laid back.” Elwin seemed uncertain about the invitation, but he didn’t say no immediately. “It’ll be fun, just a bunch of families in the neighborhood getting together. We do a White Elephant exchange. Bring your sister if it makes you feel better. She can hang out with my siblings. They’ll be happy to have someone new to bug.” 

Elwin shrugged non-committing. “She may have plans with friends. I’ll come. Just, I don’t know if I’ll fit in.” Bran glanced over Elwin’s perfectly prim hair, the dress shirt paired with sweater vest and corduroy pants and snorted. 

“You probably won’t. But I want you there. Plus, I won’t fit in at your ball. I don’t know that I have any clothes that would be considered good for that.” Elwin smiled softly. 

“They don’t expect much from those outside of the company. I’ll have to wear the same suit from last year, but you can just wear some slacks or nice jeans and a dress shirt. You’ll be fine. I promise.” Elwin seemed genuinely pleased at the thought, so Bran vowed he would do whatever he could to make it worth it. “By the way, your white elephant, do you have special rules?” Elwin looked uncomfortable and bashful again. 

“Not really. We usually aim for practical and funny gifts. No more then $15 in value. You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to. “ 

“No – I want to.” Elwin’s protest was quick, and he reached out and placed a hand on Bran’s. “I do, I want to participate.” Bran smiled at the insistence and flipped his hand over to grasp Elwin’s, causing a light brush to spread on the boy’s pale face. 

“Then you should,” he said brightly. “But now, we should be getting you home, so you can fight off the rest of that cold.” Elwin scowled at the reminder just before he sneezed into the elbow of his jacket. Then he nodded in agreement. 

“But I’m paying this time,” he said as Bran reached for his pocked. Bran chuckled lightly and let Elwin pay the bill and drive him home. This time, instead of walking in immediately, he left Elwin with a light peck on the check. 

Elwin looked stunned at the affection, and Bran laughed. “Get better and we’ll try something else,” he said as he left the car and walked up to his door and into his house.


	7. Candles

Elwin lounged around the front room, which was currently lit only with candles. His father argued over the phone in another room, trying to figure out when their electricity would be back. His mother fretted in the kitchen as she’d been in the process of making dinner when everything had gone off. He and Alicia just exchanged looks and pulled out their respective phones. 

Elwin had spent most of the day texting Bran, and with nothing more to do, he simply continued. They weren’t meeting up until Bran’s party on the 23rd, so he had to make do with simple texts. But he’d been spoiled in the days following the end of finals. He had seen him everyday since then, and they’d had their first two dates one day after another. He wondered if it was too much to think about getting him a small Christmas gift. Would Bran appreciate it? Or would it just lead to more teasing? Not that he minded the teasing that much. 

He turned to Alicia. “Do you think it’s okay to get someone a Christmas gift if you’ve only known them for a week?” 

Alicia looked up from her phone bored and shrugged. “Is this about that guy you’ve been seeing?” Elwin blushed and nodded. He’d never exactly come out to his family, but both his mother and sister knew he was currently dating a guy. He didn’t think his father would be especially bothered, but it still made him uncomfortable to think about him finding out. “Just get him something little. Maybe make it funny. You shouldn’t come on too seriously right now though. You might scare him off like in High school.” 

Elwin winced at the mention of his high school crush. He and the guy had been getting along great, and the other boy had even expressed interest in dating him when he’d ruined it on Valentine’s by blurting out “I love you” in front of a rather large audience. The guy had distanced himself after that. He really didn’t need to relive that. “I just don’t feel right not giving him something… and I really like him.” 

Alicia raised an eyebrow and put her phone down. “You barely know him,” she said, narrowing her eyes. Then she sighed. “El, I need to tell you something about yourself.” Elwin didn’t interrupt. Alicia may have been younger than him, but she was the most honest with him about his flaws. “You fall too fast. And too hard. Maybe pull back a bit this time. Enjoy it, but don’t become dependent on this relationship for your happiness.” 

Elwin sighed and glanced at his phone. No response from Bran. “Not like I have a choice. I won’t see him until the party anyway.” Alicia grinned. 

“The White elephant one? Great, let me help you shop for it.” Elwin shook his head. 

“I’ve already got something on the way,” he said. He’d ordered it on Amazon, just a silly cookbook that he thought people may find funny. It was gender and age neutral, as he didn’t know much about the community, and it was safe. “But you could help me shop for Bran,” he said hopefully, and his sister sighed. 

“Fine, tell me about him, and I’ll help you find a casual gift.” She didn’t sound happy about it, but Elwin grinned and moved to sit next to her and he began to gush about everything he liked about Bran. 

Really, he couldn’t wait for the party.


	8. Wreath

Bran glanced over at his phone as it chimed again and groaned. “What’s wrong, Bran?” Lowen asked from behind him, and he couldn’t stop the smile. 

“Nothing,” he answered and stood up. “How about we make those cookies for the party now?” That distracted the six-year-old, and she ran off to the kitchen with a squeal. There really was nothing wrong, really. Elwin was just texting. A lot. Bran had started the pursuit figuring that Elwin was the type to take a while to warm up, but after their first date, it was clear that he did not take much. Now Bran was rethinking his interest. Elwin seemed like the type to get serious quickly, and he didn’t know how he felt about that. 

But then, it wasn’t the younger man’s fault. And he still liked him. Bran was just uncomfortable with moving too quickly. He knew they really needed to have a talk about what kind of relationship they were in, though he was afraid that Elwin had already assumed more than Bran was confident he was willing to give. Did he want Elwin to be more than a winter fling? More than someone to just flirt with and find comfort in during these winter months? And even if he did, how would it work out? They hadn’t met before that winter, which was strong proof that they were on completely different paths in life. Elwin was clearly from a rather well-off family, what with his dad requiring him to attend a Christmas ball. Who even had balls anymore? His family was pulling by, but his mother didn’t own the house they lived in, and they barely owned the car. He was already drowning in debt from just one year of college. What did they have in common beyond that they were both attracted to men? 

Bran shook the thoughts from his head and engaged Lowen, and then Morgan and Toran, in mixing the sugar cookie dough before rolling it out and letting them go at it with cookie cutters. In the three hours that they spent baking, cutting, and rolling, they baked about 150 cookies, wreaths, snowflakes, snowmen, and many other shapes, and ate a good twenty. “All right, all right,” he said as Lowen reached for another. He swatted her hand softly. “We have to leave some for the party, guys. Mom would be upset if we ate them all now. Let’s get them put away. And no more sneaking any.” They agreed solemnly, pouting in Lowen’s case, and helped him to put them in the Christmas Tupperware that his mother had for this express purpose. Then he ushered them out of the kitchen before hiding the cookies at the top of the pantry. Only Henry could reach them, and he was likely uninterested in them. 

He walked back out to his phone and picked it up, reading Elwin’s message and sending a quick reply. He had to decide about that situation. And he needed to make it before the party. No matter what, he would honor his promises with Elwin, so long as the man still wanted him to, but he had to make the decision and talk to Elwin about it. In person. That was the fairest way. And he should let Elwin know what they each needed to consider before he managed to convince himself that they were more than they actually were. 

He typed out a text detailing his thoughts and then deleted them. Should he call him and tell him? Would that be better? He really didn’t know what to do with Elwin now. Sighing, he pulled up the contact and hovered his finger over the call button for a moment before retreating to his room and locking it behind him. Then he tapped the button. 

“Hello?” The greeting was breathless, from what he didn’t know. “Did you need something, Bran?” He seemed busy. Maybe he should suggest calling back. Shaking his head, Bran steeled himself. 

“Hey, El, we need to talk.” 

“Okay.” He sounded apprehensive now. Maybe he’d been anticipating this. 

“Not over the phone, but I thought I should tell you what the conversation was going to be about, before we have it. Do you want to meet up tomorrow?” Bran heard the boy take a shuddering breath. 

“Alright, but what are we going to be talking about?” Any enthusiasm from before had drained, and Bran winced at the hurt that seeped into Elwin’s tone. 

“Our expectations for this relationship. I have a feeling we’re not entirely on the same page, and I wanted to give us both a chance to gather our thoughts. But it’s definitely something we should speak in person about.” Bran heard another deep breath, and when Elwin spoke again, he seemed less hurt, less scared. 

“Yeah, okay. That sounds good. Tomorrow, at maybe 2, at the café?” Bran nodded before remembering he was on the phone. 

“Yeah, that’s fine. See you then?” Elwin didn’t respond verbally, so Bran hung up reluctantly after a few minutes. This needed to be done. It was necessary. 

If it was so necessary, though, why did Bran feel so terrible for having brought it up?


	9. Shortest Day, Longest Night

Elwin shook as he glanced at the clock on the wall of the café. He’d arrived an hour early and there was still half an hour until they had planned to meet, but it was either stay home and panic, thereby distracting his family, or come early and simply down tea and coffee until Bran arrived. He’d opted for the second option and was now halfway through a third cup of tea. 

He didn’t like what Bran had implied the day before. Had he done something wrong? Something to make Bran think that they weren’t right for each other? He couldn’t think of anything, and the anxiety that built up in thinking that he may have done something so wrong without knowing it had him taking another large gulp of his tea. 

Elwin took a shuddering breath and tried to calm himself down. It was possible that Bran was just serious about defining the relationship. It was good to do, right? To make sure both parties were on the same page and wanted the same thing from the relationship. That meant that Bran was taking him seriously and not treating him as just a little fun flirt. It meant that there was a relationship and he hadn’t made it all up in his head. But if Bran wanted to discuss it, did that mean that they weren’t exclusive? Or that it was just going to be a temporary thing? Elwin didn’t know exactly how he felt about either of those options, but it wasn’t a positive feeling. Anger? Jealousy? Despondency? 

At exactly 1:57, Bran walked into the café and glanced around. Elwin raised his hand when Bran turned his way, and the older man shot him a weak smile and walked slowly over. A waitress brought Elwin another tea and took Bran’s order before leaving them alone. 

“So,” Bran said after a few minutes of silence. “I guess we should talk.” Elwin nodded jerkily, trying to will himself to raise his eyes, but failing. “I just want to say that I’m not sure how we’ll work after winter break is over. I don’t want you getting too serious about everything if we just go back to not seeing each other when we get back to school.” 

“But could we try?” Elwin blurted, finally tearing his eyes from the table. “I – I don’t want to give up before trying. I don’t want to be in a relationship if we decided that it wouldn’t work from the beginning. I want to try. I want this relationship to be serious.” 

“But I don’t know if I do.” Bran said this quietly, and all of Elwin’s protests died in his throat. He felt tears prickle at his eyes and blinked rapidly to try and banish them. “I don’t know if the effort would be worth it.” 

“Then… I guess, we won’t try,” Elwin whispered, his eyes falling back to the table. “I’ll just leave then.” He stood up, pulling a couple of bills from his wallet to lay on the table to pay for the teas he’d already had. He couldn’t stay here any longer, not if Bran was serious about, well, not being serious. 

As he walked past Bran, the other man reached out and grabbed his arm. “I’d still like you to come to the party. I think you’d enjoy it, even if you’re mad at me. And if you still want me to come to the ball...” 

Elwin raised his eyes to Bran’s face, somehow managing to fight back any tears and nodded mechanically, jerking his arm out of Bran’s grasp. “I’ll let you know,” he whispered, before leaving before Bran could say anything more. He got out to the car and started it in a hurry. He didn’t really want to chance Bran seeing his panic attack. 

He managed to drive home and turn off the car before it full enveloped him. Gasping breaths escaped him, and thoughts rushed through his head, too fast to refute, too fast to comprehend, but fast enough to prevent the tears that escaped. The sun was already beginning to set on the shortest day of the year, but Elwin yearned for the longest night to be over. For all of this to be done. 

Alicia found him afterwards but didn’t comment on the tears still rolling down his face. She led him inside without a word and helped him become comfortable the rest of the day. Thankfully, she didn’t ask anything about the meeting.


	10. Fire

Bran woke up to a storm rattling the windows and water dripping onto the carpet in the middle of his room. He groaned and rolled out of bed. It was still dark, and the younger kids were still asleep, so he spent his time stumbling around gathering buckets and setting them under and around the few places where the roof was weak. Everyone would wake up soon, but at least they wouldn’t step in water and slip. He glanced out the window and groaned again. The likelihood of the power going out was increasing by the day. Though, the forecast suggested that the rain may slow and turn to snow. 

Usually, Bran wasn’t so upset about rain and snow, but being upset helped him take his mind off Elwin’s face from the day before. He wasn’t even sure why it affected him so much. He hadn’t really become attached to the other boy, but even just seeing how nervous Elwin had been when he had walked in had bothered him. 

He glanced at his phone as he sat back down on his bed and sighed. Since the conversation, he hadn’t heard from Elwin. He hoped that Elwin wouldn’t just ghost him. He didn’t seem like the type of person to do that, but he had also been very upset at the end of their discussion. There was no way of knowing what ways Elwin dealt with distress; he barely knew the kid. 

He barely knew him, and wasn’t that the problem? They barely knew each other, and Bran didn’t want them hoping for too much right off the bat – didn’t want Elwin banking on too much. Why did he care though? Wouldn’t it have been Elwin’s fault for pouring too much in? It wasn’t Bran’s responsibility. Elwin was nineteen years old, old enough to take responsibility for his own feelings and the way he reacted to them. 

Bran sighed again. He cared about Elwin already. That was clear, but how much was the question. And how much was he willing to give to the relationship? Maybe he should have waited to ask him on dates and kept the relationship platonic to begin with, but it was too late now. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so pessimistic at the meeting. Especially since he was beginning to realize that he did want to try. What would he really be giving up to just try? Nothing. 

He shot a text off to Elwin. _Come to the party tomorrow. Please. And left it at that._ With his siblings help, he put together a card and gift for Elwin and kept the fire going in the fireplace, and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face when the younger boy texted back that he would come. Even if Elwin was still upset with him, it didn’t mean he couldn’t make it up to him, did it? Maybe he’d be forgiven for changing his mind so much. Elwin was worth a little bit of hurt anyway.


	11. Snow

Elwin parked farther down the street from Bran’s house than he had the few times he’d dropped him off. For one, the street was already crowded with people, presumably from around the neighborhood, walking around the street and playing in the snow. For another, he wasn’t sure he was ready to see Bran just yet. What would he say to him now? Were they still dating? They hadn’t really talked a lot before Elwin had walked out. He regretted it after he’d recovered. There was a lot more they should have said before dropping it. What if Bran just wanted to pretend like everything was normal now? 

Elwin took a deep breath before grabbing the two wrapped presents from the passenger seat. He had considered leaving Bran’s gift at home, returning it to the store later, but he hadn’t been able to convince himself to return something he’d bought as a gift. Now it was with him, and he wasn’t sure how he was going to go about giving it to Bran. He got out of the car and locked it behind him, shivering in the cold air. He pulled his coat closer around him before walking down the street towards Bran’s house. 

Glancing around, he felt distinctly out of place as others greeted people they had presumably known for years. Again, Elwin wondered why Bran had bothered to invite him to this. Especially if what he had said the day before held any truth. He squeezed passed people chatting on the sidewalks and made his way up to the door of Bran’s house and, taking another deep breath, rang the doorbell. 

Bran didn’t not answer it. The bored teenager who did raised an eyebrow before waving him in. “Bran’s not ready yet,” he said in a tone that matched his expression. “Just wait wherever.” Elwin frowned but sat in the first seat that he came across, figuring that it counted as ‘wherever’. He glanced around for a moment before wondering if it would be considered impolite to do so without someone who lived there in the room. Then, he tore his eyes from his surroundings and glued them to the presents in his lap. 

It was only a few minutes before he heard someone shuffle into the room. He looked up to greet them but stopped when it wasn’t Bran. Instead a little girl, maybe around five or six stared at him from across the room. He waved a hesitant hello, and she seemed to take that as an invitation to come closer. “Are you Bran’s new boyfriend?” Elwin didn’t answer immediately, not sure what the answer was and not sure how honest Bran wanted to be with his youngest sister anyway. It seemed he wasn’t shy about his orientation at the very least. Still, he didn’t know how to answer the question, so he shrugged, and she frowned. “Can’t you talk?” She seemed concerned about him, and he smiled softly. 

“Yes,” he said finally. “I can talk. I’m just not sure what Bran wants you to know.” 

“Bran tells me everything,” she insisted, squeezing next to him on the armchair. He scooted over to accommodate her. “He says I’m the best at keeping secrets. So you can tell me. Are you Bran’s boyfriend?” 

Again, he shrugged, adding a half-hearted, “Don’t know.” 

She seemed incredulous. “How can you not know? Don’t you want to be Bran’s boyfriend? Bran is great. He always gets me ice cream when I ask, even when mommy says we can’t, and he makes sure that all of us get our homework done, and that we always have dinner. He is the bestest big brother in the whole world, and I know he’s the bestest boyfriend too.” Elwin chuckled a little. It was sweet that she liked her brother so much. Elwin liked him too. 

“I do want to be his boyfriend. I just don’t know if he wants to be mine.” The girl frowned. 

“Why? Are you not a nice person? Did you do something to my big brother?” She asked, and Elwin was once again at a loss for words. How did he explain this kind of thing to a little girl that idolized her brother? 

“He’s a very nice person, Lowen. He even came to join us at the party after I hurt him.” Elwin started at the voice and turned to look at Bran. “I don’t know how he could really ever forgive me.” 

Lowen was the next to speak, as Elwin wasn’t really sure what Bran wanted from him. “When you hurt someone, you should say you’re sorry.” She said, hopping down from the chair and skipping over to her brother. “And then he can forgive you and you guys can be boyfriends again!” Bran chuckled and reached down to ruffle her hair. 

“You’re right, Lowen, I should apologize. But we’re going to need some privacy to talk. Do you want to come to my room, Elwin?” Elwin flinched slightly at his full name. Bran hadn’t used it for quite some time. He had said it was too formal, and Elwin much preferred when he called him El. Even so, he stood up and followed Bran into his room. 

Bran gestured to a chair, and Elwin sat down slowly, setting the presents down on the nearby desk. Bran stayed standing and didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, he sighed. “Look. I’m sorry I upset you. I wasn’t really able to sort out my thoughts before our conversation, and I managed to make myself look like an ass because of it. I want to figure this out properly before anything else. Can you just listen? Please.” Elwin nodded, and Bran sighed. In relief? Frustration? Something else entirely? Elwin wasn’t sure, but he would let Bran say what he needed to say. Even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. 

“I’ve been thinking about how we’ve never even crossed paths before now at school. You, being a literature major, and myself an engineer, that isn’t likely to change. Not to mention that you prefer morning classes, while I tend to get my siblings ready for school before going to bed and sleeping until noon. Our habits and interests don’t really seem to cross, so I don’t really know how we would ever manage a meaningful relationship once school starts up again. But…” he stopped here and finally looked up at Elwin, and Elwin felt his heart clench when their eyes met. 

“But I like you anyway. I think I like you more than I’ve liked my last three boyfriends put together. You’re kind, and funny, and willing to accommodate me and my siblings. And giving up on that seems wrong somehow, even if I don’t think we’ll be able to make it very long. So… can we stay together? For as long as life allows us to? I don’t want to miss out on opportunities to be with you just because I’m scared of what may happen when we lose each other.” 

Bran stopped, and Elwin found he couldn’t breath for a moment. Then, tears were welling in his eyes, and he brushed them away angrily. “Last time,” he managed to sputter out, “Last time, you said you didn’t want to try. You basically told me that I wasn’t worth it. I don’t understand what changed. That hurt me so much. I didn’t know if I would be able to make it today. I didn’t know if it would matter if I made the effort. And now, you’re – you’re saying this, as if it wasn’t you who implied we should give up. So tell me: what changed? Why should I risk that pain again?” 

Bran frown and sat on the bed. “I can’t really tell you what to do. And I don’t think anything really changed, but before you walked out of the café, I saw your face, and I – I just couldn’t get it out of my head yesterday. How hurt you were, and how much I never wanted to see you hurt that much. I realized just how much you have come to mean to me. And I can’t – I just can’t let that go without trying again.” 

Elwin drew a shuddering breath. Alicia was going to give him hell for forgiving Bran so easily, but… he didn’t want to give up either. “For a trial period only,” he said. “If by the time school starts up again, one of us doesn’t want to continue this, we have to stop. Okay? And if at any time before that point either of us is having doubts, we must talk through it all. No lashing out in fear or desperation, okay? I can’t go through another faux break-up. So next time, it is over.” 

Bran grinned and stood up, leaning down over Elwin. “I can agree to that,” he whispered. “Hey, are you over your cold?” Elwin nodded once, and Bran’s grin seemed to grow. Then, he was leaning closer, his lips meeting Elwin’s. At that moment, Elwin figured being such a pushover wasn’t a bad thing if it led to things like this.


	12. Mistletoe

Bran picked at his jeans for the third time since arriving. Elwin had assured him more than once that his attire was “perfectly acceptable,” but looking around at what others wore, full tuxes, evening gowns, fucking bowties, he doubted whether Elwin was a completely unbiased judge of what was acceptable. Elwin himself was dressed in black slacks, a long-sleeved dress shirt and a dark blue dress jacket. Bran felt completely out of place standing next to him. 

“Bran, relax,” Elwin said for the fifth time. “No one cares.” Bran watched another woman glance at him and grimace and doubted that Elwin was right about that. Elwin squeezed his hand and turned his face back towards him. “I don’t care,” he corrected. “And you don’t know anyone else, so why does their opinion matter?” Bran nodded but glanced away just in time to see another judgmental look. Elwin sighed and pulled him by his hand out to the dance floor. Elwin hadn’t been kidding about the ball. People were literally swaying back and forth, with a few displaying more knowledge of ball room dances than others. Bran knew nothing about them, so he let Elwin place his hands and lead the dance. 

He didn’t really know what Elwin’s plan was, but as they stumbled around the dance floor, he began chatting. Not about anything important, but it was enough to distract Bran. He simply followed Elwin’s lead in both conversation and dance, and it wasn’t until he began to grow tired that he realized how little he had been paying attention to others since they started dancing. 

As Elwin led him to a table, he asked, “Do you feel better now?” Bran nodded and gratefully took some water that was offered to him. 

“Thanks,” he said after downing it and setting the empty cup on the table between them. “For the water and the dance.” 

Elwin grinned. “Only for you,” he said, reaching out and squeezing his hand. “So, have you opened the gift yet?” 

Bran shook his head. “It’s not Christmas yet. Lowen insists that all gifts wait for Christmas.” Elwin pouted mockingly. “Don’t worry. I’ll text you as soon as I do open it.” 

They chatted about more mundane things, school, siblings, plans for Christmas day, and time seemed fly by. Finally, the ball was over and they joined Elwin’s parents mingling at the exit. They were talking with some of Elwin’s father’s coworkers, so Elwin leaned onto Bran, stifling a yawn. Everyone heard the disgusted choke that sounded at that, and they all shifted their gazes. 

“How could you let your son bring him here?” A woman asked, a hand to her chest and a look of disgust trained on Bran and Elwin. “Even if you let him be gay, how can you let him flaunt it?” Bran felt a flare of anger and tightened his arms that had settled around the younger boy. 

Before he or Elwin could say anything, however, Elwin’s father stepped forward. “What my son is or isn’t is none of your concern, Lorraine. So long as he is happy, I will not interfere in his personal affairs. Maybe you could stand to learn a thing or two about keeping to yourself.” Then he marched out, gesturing for the rest of the family to follow him. 

They arrived at the car, everyone still silent, and piled in. They didn’t speak until they got to Bran’s house to drop him off. “Thanks for letting me come along. Sorry about the whole…” He trailed off, and Elwin’s mother turned her gaze on him. 

“Don’t apologize. That wasn’t you. That was her. Now go, have a good night, and a great Christmas.” He smiled at her, bid them a good night, and walked up to his door. He heard footsteps approach him from behind and turned around. 

Elwin ran up to him and stopped just in front of him, their chests just inches away from each other. Leaning up, he whispered, “Merry Christmas,” before pressing a soft kiss onto his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! If you did, I invite you to check out my other original works on here. :)


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